The Wheel of Time - The Call of the Horn

Ghealdan

Ghealdan is a relatively small country that lies along the feet of the Mountains of Mist to the north of Amadicia and north-west of Altara. The current sign of Ghealdan is that of the Dragon Reborn, a gold dragon on a red field.

Ghealdan stretches from the Forest of Shadows, also called the Great Blackwood, along the southern banks of the River Manetherendrelle, to the River Eldar in the south, and from the Mountains of Mist in the west to the immense ridge known as Garen’s Wall in the east. Its capital city is Jehannah, located on the banks of the River Boern. Ghealdan is a land of mountains and foothills in the west, the rocky lands along the ridge in the east and large swathes of forest inbetween, such as the Dhallin Forest. Ghealdan is one of the smallest kingdoms in the Westlands.

Ghealdan is ruled by a hereditary monarch – currently Queen Alliandre Maritha Kigarin – advised by the Crown High Council, a body of lords and powerful merchants. The Council sees to the day-to-day running of the country and elects a new monarch should the previous line die out. The Council’s power in the kingdom is secondary to that of the monarch, but recently the Council has attempted to bolster its power by abolishing the ruler’s elite military guard. This has been thwarted since the Queen has reconstituted the guard whilst on a period of absence outside the kingdom.

As a small country, Ghealdan does not possess a substantial standing army. Instead, it has a small, professional force known as the Legion of the Wall, which protects the borders, polices Jehannah and protects the ruler. In times of war the Legion forms the core of the Ghealdanin war effort and trains new levies to support its operations. The Legion of the Wall was temporarily disbanded at the insistence of Masema Dagar, but has been reconstituted by the Queen during her absence from the kingdom. The new commander of the Legion is the professional and respected soldier, First Captain Gerard Arganda. The new Legion recently saw action and won some prestige at the Battle of Malden, where it fought as part of a coalition of forces against the Shaido Aiel.

Ghealdan produces alum and its mines are responsible for much of the wealth of the kingdom. However, Ghealdan is not a rich nation, especially compared to its neighbours, and the mines in the Mountains of Mist are not as productive as those in Andor to the north. The normal Ghealdanin clothing style is a coat fastened with a double row of wooden buttons. For excise men working at the docks, this is typically a blue coat with chains and a seal on the chest.

During the War of the Hundred Years several attempts were made to refound the kingdom of Dhowlan, which used to share Ghealdan’s borders before the days of Artur Hawkwing. After the failure of the last attempt in FY 1109, Lord Kirin Almeyda, Lady Valera Prosnarin, Lord Cynric Talvaen and Lady Iona Ashmar founded the new kingdom of Ghealdan in its stead. Kirin Almeyda became the first King of Ghealdan and the others formed the Crown High Council to advise him.
Ghealdan’s history has largely been peaceful, despite minor border incidencts with Amadicia and Altara. Ghealdan is not a rich country and its natural resources are not worth the cost of trying to invade the country. However, after the Children of the Light assumed control of Amadicia roughly seventy years ago, they began attempting to bring Ghealdan under their control as well. The Ghealdanin successfully resisted such attempts and the Whitecloaks have chosen not to pursue a full-scale invasion, believing the losses would outweigh any possible benefits. In late 997 NE, Ghealdan suffered severe losses when the false Dragon Logain Ablar rose to power and rampaged across the country. He was eventually stopped in battle in Murandy, but Ghealdan was left shaken by the conflict. In early 999 NE, a group of Shienaran soldiers descended from the mountains and one of them, Masema Dagar, proclaimed that the true Dragon Reborn had emerged, and that Ghealdan should follow him to the Last Battle. Attempts by the Ghealdanin government to crush this insurrection failed and after the deaths of King Johanin and Queen Elizelle in rapid succession, followed by the abdication of Queen Teresia, the newly-elected Queen Alliandre Maritha Kigarin instead forged an alliance with the self-titled ‘Prophet of the Dragon’ that saw him and his forces removed from the country and encouraged to invade Amadicia instead. Alliandre then swore fealty to the Dragon Reborn through his true representative, Lord Perrin Aybara of the Two Rivers, and assisted him on his mission to bring the Prophet to heel and destroying a Shaido force at the Battle of Malden. In her absence, the Crown High Council continues to rule Ghealdan, unaware that these events, plus Alliandre’s exposure to the advice of Berelain, First of Mayene, and the Lady Faile Aybara have made Alliandre into a more canny and cunning ruler.

The PeopleLogain Ablar
Logain Ablar is an Asha’man of the Black Tower as well as a former False Dragon and a minor Ghealdanin noble. He has recently taken to wearing his sigil, three golden crowns in a field of blue. He is tall, with dark curling hair to his broad shoulders. He is dark and handsome.

Logain falsely declared himself to be the Dragon Reborn shortly before the events of Winternight in the Two Rivers. He had previously been a minor noble in Ghealdan, but King Johanin and the Crown High Council stripped him of his land and title when he proclaimed himself the Dragon Reborn, though recently he has started wearing his coat of arms. Rand first saw Logain in Caemlyn as he was being taken to Tar Valon to be “gentled,” or cut off from his ability to channel. After the gentling he was kept on the grounds of the White Tower and observed at all times; most men (or women) do not live long after being severed (it is called gentling for men, and stilling for women). However, after the deposing of Siuan Sanche as Amyrlin Seat, Min Farshaw rescues Siuan and Leane Sharif (the former Keeper of the Chronicles) from the dungeons of the Tower; along the way, they find Logain, who has also escaped, and take him with them to Salidar to join the rebel Aes Sedai. On the way there under name Dalyn, he gets them into trouble with Gareth Bryne when he starts a fire in Admer Nem’s barn and steals some gold to help them. He runs away and Siuan, Min and Leane are caught and put to trial. They believe he has abandoned them, but when they are being driven to Gareth Bryne’s manor after the trial to serve out their punishment, Logain knocks the driver unconcious with a thrown rock and rescues them.

Once they are in Salidar, he tells the “Little Tower” that he was set up as a False Dragon by the Red Ajah. This story is a lie concocted by Siuan as part of her personal revenge against Elaida; this causes a stir, to say the least, as the Red’s ostensible purpose is to find and gentle men who can channel. His story never changes substantially. Once Nynaeve al’Meara and Elayne Trakand arrive, Nynaeve studies him, Siuan, and Leane, claiming she can find a way to Heal the separation from the One Power they all have suffered. The Aes Sedai permit her to try simply to appease her, because they believe there is no way she can find a way to Heal such a thing; in fact, no one ever has, even in the Age of Legends. However, she does in fact discover a way to do so; restoring his, Leane’s, and Siuan’s connection to the One Power, although the two women suffer a huge loss in their capacity to channel for reasons unknown to the characters. (Robert Jordan has stated that this is due to being Healed by a woman; a man Healing them would have restored full strength in the One Power. This was confirmed in a later book when an Asha’man restores stilled Aes Sedai to full strength.) After having his ability to channel restored he is shielded at all times by six Aes Sedai but manages to escape with the new Amyrlin Egwene al’Vere’s help. She and Siuan Sanche arrange it so that of the six Aes Sedai shielding Logain, only three have Warders. Mint tea is brought to the Aes Sedai and the Warders as they guard the tent holding Logain and the six Aes Sedai, containing a “small addition” that cannot be tasted, presumbaly forkroot.

After finding the Black Tower and becoming an Asha’man he finds himself at odds with Mazrim Taim and sets out to locate the Dragon Reborn to let him know of the trouble brewing back at the Black Tower. He has bonded two Aes Sedai: Toveine Gazal from the Red Ajah and Gabrelle from the Brown Ajah, who were sent to capture the Asha’man. On his way to locate Rand he comes across Lord Davram Bashere, who agrees to accompany him. Logain finds Rand and has with him not only Bashere, Aes Sedai, Asha’man, and soldiers, but Loial and Karldin as well. He reports to Rand that Taim has gained control of the Black Tower and some of the Asha’man. Rand listens to this news and tells Logain that he has cleansed saidin, before sending Loial, Bashere, and Logain to negotiate with the Seanchan. Logain seems to believe that the cleansing was a mercy of the Creator and not an act by Rand al’Thor and Nynaeve al’Meara. Logain acts as Rand’s lieutenant although he demonstrates a strong degree of independence of spirit. He learns a number of deadly weaves from Rand during this association (or rather, from Lews Therin after Rand loses control). When Lews Therin won’t let go of saidin he reveals to everyone present that Rand is drawing in too much of the One Power. He is sent by Rand as his ambassador to the Sea Folk. There he calls on the Sea Folks part of the bargain, which is to provide as many ships as possible and to supply over one million people with food and supplies in Arad Doman. News of the Amayar mass suicide arrives, which Logain doesn’t show much remorse for, reminding them of their priority to the bargain first. He is one of the six to accompany Rand to his meeting with the Daughter of the Nine Moons. A fight soon breaks out when the Daughter of the Nine Moons is revealed to actually be Semirhage in disguise. Logain mysteriously goes missing sometime after this incident. One of his followers, Mezar Kurin, has returned to the tower. According to Norley, he has an empty, soulless look to his eyes and his smile is “wrong.” When he returned he said that Logain would be just fine, but he has been spending time with Mazrim Taim and his followers, who are all (or mostly) darkfriends. It is believed that he has been converted to the Shadow by the 13×13 trick. If this is the case, then Logain and his followers are either captured or converted to the Shadow. Rand suspects something may have happened to him.

Kirin Almeyda
Kirin Almeyda was the first King of Ghealdan. Almeyda established the kingdom in FY 1109 during the closing years of the War of the Hundred Years, aided by several nobles, including Valera Prosnarin, Cynric Talvaen and Iona Ashmar, who founded the Crown High Council to advise him.

Gerard Arganda
Gerard Arganda is First Captain of the Ghealdan forces. His hair is graying and he has dark eyes. He is short and squat with a deep rough voice. He has been a soldier since the age of fifteen and fought in the Aiel War, against Whitecloaks, Altarans and Amadicians. He was just a commoner when he joined the army and has risen through the ranks to become the officer he is today.

When Queen Alliandre Maritha Kigarin is kidnapped by Shaido Aiel, he and his men just about attack the Aiel within Perrin Aybara’s camp. He is told to stand down by Perrin and sent back to camp. He accompanies Perrin, when he looks over the Shaido camped in Malden. He is with Shaido prisoners when Perrin comes in and cleaves one of the prisoners hand off, looking for answers on his missing wife. He is present in the tent when Galina Casban is brought in and questioned by Perrin. He later goes with Perrin when he makes his deal with the Seanchan. He leads the Ghealden forces in the Battle of Malden.

He confronts Perrin over him hiring mercenaries as they travel through Ghealdan. Later he attends a meeting with Perrin to decide where the army should now go. A decision is made to send a scouting force to Cairhien to start looking for Rand al’Thor.

Iona Ashmar
Iona Ashmar was one of the founders of Ghealdan. In the year FY 1109, Lady Iona, along with Kirin Almeyda, Cynric Talvaen and Valera Prosnarin founded the kingdom of Ghealdan. Lady Iona sat on the Crown High Council.

Cariandre
Cariandre is an Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah. She is plump. She is described as wearing elaborately red-embroidered gray silk. She has remained loyal to the White Tower during the split. She is given the task of ‘escorting’ Mattin Stepaneos den Balgar around the White Tower. She tried to prevent him speaking with Egwene. She sends Egwene to the Mistress of Novices for shirking her chores and showing disrespect to an Aes Sedai. She is furious with Egwene for telling Mattin Stepaneos the truth about the Dragon Reborn being a threat to him and the political stability of the Ajahs in the White Tower. She guards Egwene’s cell when Seaine Herimon comes to visit her.

Chesmal Emry
Chesmal Emry is an Aes Sedai of the Yellow Ajah. She is also Black Ajah and one of Liandrin’s Group of Black Sisters. Chesmal is stern but handsome with dark hair and eyes. She is tall for a woman and seems even taller. Prior to Nynaeve, Chesmal was considered one of the best Healers anyone had seen in years. She has the ability to kill directly with saidar. Chesmal, along with Galina Casban and Jarna Malari, was involved in the torture and murder of Tamra Ospenya. She was also involved in the murder of Meilyn Arganya, and manipulated the Red Ajah to murder Sierin Vayu. She often brags about her part in it to other Black sisters.

When Moghedien is shot with an arrow by Birgitte Silverbow in Tel’aran’rhiod, it is Chesmal who heals her near-death injury. Mogehedien orders Chesmal to follow her to Ghealdan. She and some of the other sisters travel to Samara. When Eldrith Jhondar’s Warder Kennit arrives, they flee to Caemlyn. Though Moghedien has placed Eldrith in charge, Chesmal routinely disregards Eldrith’s authority. After the Brown sister returns from an unexpected absence, Chesmal goes so far as to question her rudely about her activities. Chesmal is present with Asne Zeramene and Eldrith when Temaile Kinderode returns from spying on Elayne, Egwene, and Nynaeve in Tel’aran’rhiod. Temaile makes her nervous because of the Grey Sister’s breaking of Liandrin. Vandene discovers that Careane Fransi was the one who killed her sister, Adeleas, along with Ispan. She kills Careane in revenge for this. Chesmal kills her and Sareitha Tomares. Chesmal was involved in the unsuccessful kidnap attempt on Elayne and was subsequently held in the Royal Palace dungeon in Caemlyn, along with Lady Shiaine and the other Black Ajah Sisters involved. Chesmal is killed during an escape attempt from Caemlyn. Elayne, being caught alone in the fray, sets Chesmal’s clothing on fire, incinerating her.

Johanin
Johanin was King of Ghealdan. Johanin stripped Logain of his lands and titles when he declared himself as Dragon. He died in a “hunting accident” after failing to take Masema Dagar seriously.

Jon Blacksmith
Jon is a blacksmith in Jarra. Under the influence of Rand’s ta’veren nature, Rilith, the weaver’s daughter, drags Jon off to be married.

Alliandre Maritha Kigarin
Blessed of the Light, Defender of Garen’s Wall, Alliandre Maritha Kigarin is Queen of Ghealdan. She has long dark hair.

A woman in her middle years, Alliandre found herself on the throne rather suddenly after her predecessor abdicated to marry a commoner. In fact, she was the fourth to sit on the throne in a matter of months, all due to the influence of Masema, also known as the Prophet. Whereas her predecessors either ignored or confronted Masema, Alliandre herself survived by appeasing him and playing along as best she could. She later sent a somewhat cryptic letter to Rand indicating her support for him as the Dragon Reborn, but also implying that she cannot do much while she has Whitecloaks and Masema and his Dragonsworn so close by.

Perrin Aybara was dispatched by Rand in secret to Ghealdan to make contact with Alliandre in response to her letter, to determine what she wanted. When his party arrived at the town of Bethal, Perrin sent Berelain and her Aes Sedai advisor, Annoura, to talk with Alliandre. Alliandre herself came to the camp in disguise to meet directly with Perrin. She did this to gain a better understanding of Rand as the Dragon Reborn, explaining that much can be learned of a man by who he chooses as a representative. During this meeting, she pledged an oath of fealty to Perrin and by association to Rand himself, to save Ghealdan.

Alliandre was captured by a group of Shaido Aiel along with Faile t’Aybara and her servants to be made gai’shain. She tries to escape and is strapped for the attempt. She is asked to spy on Sevanna by Therava. With the constant beatings, she has neared breaking point. She helps tie up Dairaine Saighan when she goes to tell Sevanna of her and Faile’s planned escape. They then head to the town of Malden, where the group is betrayed by Galina Casban and left for dead in a burnt out old house. They are rescued by Rolan and a number of those who have sworn oath’s of fealty to Faile. They are all finally rescued from the Shaido when Perrin meets up with the group, after he began his joint attack with the Seanchan against the Shaido. After the attack is finished, Perrin pledges to Tylee Khirgan that Ghealdan is under his protection. After the Battle of Malden she meets with Arrela, Faile and Lacile. The four woman hold a funeral ceremony for the Aiel men that protected them while they were in the Shaido camp and then ultimately murdered. She attends a meeting with Perrin to decide where the army should now go. A decision is made to send a scouting force to Cairhien to start looking for Rand al’Thor. Later, when Perrin and Elayne make an alliance, Ghealdan is also part of it, because she has sworn to Perrin.

Kireyin
Kireyin is an officer in the Ghealdan army. He is nobly born. He is lean with a haughty gaze. Gerard Arganda assigns him to lead the Ghealdan troops to So Habor. While there he sees a ghost. He is left in charge of over seeing the winnowing process of the grain when Perrin Aybara Travels back to camp.

Areina Nermasiv
Areina Nermasiv accompanied Nicola Treehill and “Marigan” aboard the Riverserpent when they were fleeing the riots in Samara. She is young with blue eyes. Areina has few friends aside from Nicola. The Mistress of Novices Tiana Noselle thinks that this is the reason for her disgruntlement and trouble-making. She meets Nynaeve al’Meara and Elayne Trakand on the boat. She develops a friendship with Birgitte Silverbow and spends most of her time with her. She is very jealous of any other woman spending time with Birgitte. She dislikes Nynaeve and Elayne in particular for pretending to be Aes Sedai. Areina and Nicola try to blackmail Egwene al’Vere with the knowledge that she pretended to be an Aes Sedai while she was still an Accepted and are both severly reprimanded for it. She also blackmails Myrelle Berengari and Nisao Dachen about concealing Lan Mandragoran and is again busted by Egwene. She is in awe of Lan and his swordsmanship. She runs away with Nicola to the White Tower and takes a job in the stables. When Egwene is captured, She and Nicola tell stories about her to the Tower novices, making her a hero in their eyes.

Noam
Noam is a wolfbrother found in the village of Jarra. He is a big man with heavy shoulders. His eyes are a burnished golden.

Simion his brother and worker at the local inn the Harilin’s Leap, requests the aid of Moiraine Damodred and Perrin Aybara when he recognizes her for Aes Sedai. Caged, Noam is said to have bitten the local healer and killed a cow with his teeth. Simion describes that his brother had proclaimed he could talk to wolves months ago and that with it came his strange golden eyes. Noam then lost all sense of humanity and after disappearing for several days was found to have become completely wolfish. When Moiraine attempts to heal him she gives the sad news to Simion that he is in fact no longer human. Perrin, feeling both an affinity to Noam and a fear that he may too become the very thing before him offers Simion the chance to free his brother to the wild, or leave him caged like an animal for villagers to stare at. Simion agrees that its for the best, and Perrin frees Noam to the wild.

Boundless is one of the wolves Perrin meets in Tel’aran’rhiod and joins him on his hunt of the white stag. As it turns out, Noam did in fact live after being set free. Unbeknownst to Perrin, he became the wolf known as Boundless in the wolf dream. When Perrin discovers this, he finds out that as a man, Noam was enduring a great deal of pain and suffering. However, as a wolf, Boundless was indeed more free, no longer having to live with his hardships of the life he left behind.

Valera Prosnarin
Valera Prosnarin was one of the founders of Ghealdan. In the year FY 1109, Lady Valera, along with Kirin Almeyda, Cynric Talvaen and Iona Ashmar founded the kingdom of Ghealdan. Lady Valera sat on the Crown High Council.

Simion
Simion is an attendant at an inn called Harilin’s Leap, in Jarra. Simion has a wide mouth and almost no chin. When Moiraine Damodred, Lan Mandragoran, Perrin Aybara and Loial travel through Jarra, Simion greets them and welcomes them to the inn. Simion sees Perrin’s eyes, he asks Perrin to speak with Moiraine regarding his brother, Noam. Perrin and Moiriane go to see Noam and discover that, while he is a wolfbrother, his humanity is lost and there is nothing either of them could do. Simion, in gratitude, brings Perrin’s meals to his room so no more locals will see his eyes.

Tzigan Sokorin
Tzigan Sokorin is an Under-Lieutenant in the Queen’s Guards. She is from Ghealdan. She is apple-cheeked with cold eyes. She is one of the Queens’s Guards placed as a bodyguard when Elayne Trakand moves through Caemlyn to greet the people. She admits Monaelle and Sumeko Karistovan into Elayne’s meeting room. She is part of Elayne’s Bodyguards in the rescue attempt of Elayne from the Black Ajah.

Cynric Talvaen
Cynric Talvaen was one of the founders of Ghealdan. In the year FY 1109, Lord Cynric, along with Kirin Almeyda, Valera Prosnarin and Iona Ashmar founded the kingdom of Ghealdan. Lord Cynric sat on the Crown High Council.

Telabin
Telabin is a Lord from Ghealdan. Queen Alliandre Maritha Kigarin stays at his place in Bethal. She then sneaks away to pledge her support to Perrin Aybara.

Nicola Treehill
Nicola Treehill was an Accepted in the White Tower. She is slender, dark haired, has big black eyes, and is around the height of Nynaeve. She is around the same age as Nynaeve. Prior to coming to Salidar, she was a weaver in Ghealdan. Nicola has nearly as much channeling potential as Egwene and has three known Talents: Foretelling, seeing ta’veren, and being able to make cuendillar. Nicola is greedy for attention and respect. Nynaeve believes that Nicola grows to dislike her and Elayne simply because if it wasn’t for them Nicola would be the novice with the most potential, however because of them she receives less attention for her extraordinary channeling power. and it’s speculated that she misuses her Foretelling abilities to this end. Though she is not supposed to remember what she foretold, her constant companion Areina Nermasiv is suspiciously always the only one there to hear and the foretellings are often about Nicola’s need to advance in the One Power as much as they are about the Dragon Reborn or other extreme events. She is also very nosy, and eavesdrops on Aes Sedai. She has been known to lie.

Nicola and Areina Nermasiv decided to accompany Nynaeve and Elayne when they went to Salidar aboard the Riverserpent. Nicola’s potential was discovered and she become a novice. Nicola Treehill’s Foretelling occurs after a bubble of evil attacks the Rebel Aes Sedai’s camp in Salidar when Nicola links with twelve other channelers. The most likely interpretation of this foretelling is that Elayne Trakand, Aviendha and Min Farshaw are there when Rand al’Thor comes back from the dead after winning the Last Battle, but the land is still divided by the Seanchan and those battles continue, and the Asha’man and Aes Sedai will use the One Power together once more as in the Age of Legends. Her Talent for seeing ta’veren was discovered when she saw Mat Cauthon surrounded by light. Nicola later tried to blackmail Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne about acting as Aes Sedai when they were Accepted so that she could progress in her studies faster. She also tries to blackmail Nisao Dachen, and Myrelle Berengari with her knowledge that they had been concealing Lan Mandragoran. Egwene quickly stopped her from being successful at this. Nicola is one of the few woman who has the Talent to make cuendillar and is in the cuendillar tent when Egwene arrives. She tries to remain behind instead of going to her next class and is sternly told to go by Sharina Melloy.

Eventually Nicola and Areina ran away to the White Tower. She thought that they would allow her to progress faster than the Aes Sedai in the rebel camp. After Egwene was captured, Nicola apologized for leaving and informed other novices of Egwene’s deeds and leadership as Amyrlin. She tries to emulate Egwene’s behavior in classes, and after a string of beatings from Silviana Brehon cuts it out. She enters Egwene’s room with some soup from Laras for the recently deceased Verin Mathwin. She is both unaware of being Laras’ messenger to Egwene and the fact that Verin is dead. She later wakes Egwene from Tel’aran’rhiod as the Seanchan begin the Battle of Tar Valon. She goes with Egwene who links with Nicola and a number of other novices in order to fight the attacking Seanchan. Nicola dies during the battle against Mesaana and the Black Ajah in Tel’aran’riod. She entered the world of dreams unauthorized and was killed by a blast from one of the Black sisters.